The Yanks (2-3) come into this series a little beat up and with a suspect pitching staff. A-Rod is hitting the ball and all of a sudden, he’s becoming a hero in the Bronx. The smart thinking Yankee fans – and there are a lot of them – rightly recognize the foolishness that [...]

We're thinking good thoughts, Lucy.

[SBG Note: We are anticipating that BabySBG will be born on Wednesday. That's not some stupid guess, but rather is based on knowledge that we acquired this morning.]

[SBG note: Be sure to check out Big Mak's great series preview below, or if you came here from a link, here.]
It’s Monday, time for a new series for the Twins, which means it’s time for “Charting the Competition” our regular feature where we interview a blogger from the other team. Of course, [...]

Welcome to the third installment of the Series Preview in Blog (now with images!). As SBG mentioned last week, I'm also posting these at my own website along with some other stuff, so stop by and have a look around. Thanks for reading!
Minnesota Twins (4-1) vs. New York Yankees (2-3)
** ESPN would like [...]

Just the thought of Derek Jeter in town makes me all a-twitter.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I count this as "new music."

It’s five games into the new season and that means that it’s time to take a look at our starting pitching staff in a feature I call 360 Degrees. The purpose of this feature is to chart the progress of our starting staff throughout the year. Of course, this being the first five [...]

From today's game recap:
Morneau had not hit well with runners in scoring position prior to the at-bat, going just 1-for-5 to start the season.
We talkin' 'bout five at-bats? We talkin' bout five at-bats?? [/AI]
Morneau hit .323 last year with runners in scoring position. I think we'd all agree that was a superb season. [...]

The bitter taste of defeat. For the first time all year, the loyal SBG Nation tastes it. I have an idea. Let's throw Johan Santana out there and see if he can cleanse the palette.
First of all, we have a few new citizens that have signed up in the past [...]

Nene Koita

Jarabi
Toumani Diabate, kora
Ketama, guitar
Danny Tompson, bass

All right, everybody got their skirts off? It's time to be men and play ball.
Yippee. Instead of getting the Carlos Silva ordeal over yesterday, we get him today against Javier Vasquez. Silva's entire effectiveness as a major league pitcher depends on his ability to keep the ball down. Unfortunately, his sinker [...]

Good morning and welcome to the ongoing feature "What are You Hearing," where members of SBG Nation set the agenda of discussion by submitting stories and commentary. If you have a story that you'd like to submit, e-mail me at the address listed on the right. Now, let's get to it.
SBG writes: [...]

Hope to see you at the big blogger get together today.

Happy birthday, Ravi.

This is what happens when the weather gets bad in Chicago.

I had to fight all my life to survive. They were all against me... but I beat the bastards and left them in the ditch. --Ty Cobb
1. After starting the season with a nice sweep, the Twins begin their first of 24 series against AL Central opponents when they open up a three two [...]

The Game is postponed tonight due to cold weather. More details as I find them.
Chicago forecast.
Yes, it's cold (low of 20 tonight), but what, are they going to postpone the whole series?
BOOOOO!!!! HISSSSSS!!!!
Update
Cincinnati forecast. (Link fixed.) Just about as cold and windy. Game still scheduled.
Washington forecast. (Link fixed.) [...]

[SBG Note: Big Mak continues his excellent series of previewing the blogs of the upcoming opponents with a look at the Chicago White Sox through the eyes of their bloggers.]
Minnesota Twins (3-0) @ Chicago White Sox (1-2)
The White Sox started off the season with a series loss at home against Cleveland. Meanwhile the Twins began [...]

A series with the pale hosers should get people fired up this weekend!

After watching three games featuring the new official game caps (I will not call them 59fifty), I'm not so much against them as I thought I would be. The black underbill doesn't look bad on TV, although it still does in pictures. The new fabric of the hats looks nice on TV, a [...]

North Sea Jazz Festival, 1965
Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones.
Note the steam rising from the musicians' heads!

1. The Twins are sitting at 3-0 after a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. The sweep was fueled by the starting pitching staff, which allowed 8 runs in 19 innings. If only Johan Santana hadn’t been such a slacker (4ER, 6IP), we’d have seen three quality starts.
2. Ramon Ortiz got [...]

Good morning and welcome to the ongoing feature "What are You Hearing," where members of SBG Nation set the agenda of discussion by submitting stories and commentary. If you have a story that you'd like to submit, e-mail me at the address listed on the right. Now, let's get to it.
Algonad writes: Be [...]

Put that sweep in your hookah pipe and smoke it.

It's Mrs. S's birthday. In her honor, I offer Patti LaBelle, Joe Cocker and Billy Preston, introduced by Cliff Huxtable

The Twins roll out the other part of their rotation in search of a sweep of the Orioles. Ramon Ortiz used to be a good pitcher. In 2002, he was 15-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 217.1 IP. Since then, however, it hasn't been good. I've heard Ol' Patrick talk about [...]

Somewhere in the cobwebs of my mind I can remember criticizing the current manager of the Twins. Despite some of his excrutiatingly frustrating maneuvers, there is one thing that he's done that has always earned my respect (as if he's worried about that). Here's a fine example of it:
When the Twins first [...]

I was reading the recap in the Strib of Tuesday's game to add to the game log when I stumbled over this nugget from LaVelle:
If closer Joe Nathan is called upon tonight to save another game for the Twins, it will undoubtedly be three the hard way.
While the Twins try to sweep Baltimore tonight at [...]

Boof was raising the roof last night.

Good morning and welcome to the ongoing feature "What are You Hearing," where members of SBG Nation set the agenda of discussion by submitting stories and commentary. If you have a story that you'd like to submit, e-mail me at the address listed on the right. Now, let's get to it.
SBG writes: [...]

You'll never hear this song quite the same again.

What a great game last night. The Twins are a big story in town right now. After a long cold winter, it's good to have our boys back entertaining us.
As Big Mak pointed out in his great series preview, there's some optimism out there in Oriole Land for tonight's starting pitcher, Daniel Cabrera. [...]

As promised, I'm bumping my interview with a Baltimore Orioles blogger. -- SBG
With the addition of writers here at SBG, sometimes we have an embarassment of riches in the content department (when I'm not the primary contributor). Anyway, I've had this interview in the can for awhile and since the game is about to [...]

Good morning and welcome to the ongoing feature "What are You Hearing," where members of SBG Nation set the agenda of discussion by submitting stories and commentary. If you have a story that you'd like to submit, e-mail me at the address listed on the right. Now, let's get to it.
bjhess sends [...]

It doesn't look like we'll lose a game all season!

Thanks to Rhubarb_Runner, who writes:
They Might Be Giants performing "Birdhouse in Your Soul" with the Doc Severinson and the Tonight Show Band. I've been a big TMBG fan since mid 80's - gotta love how John & John work with such clever lyrics, and hey! an accordian...

Let the season begin. After a great, fantastic, fantabulous season last year, our boys are ready to go again. I have optimism, even as I know that the Twins have weaknesses and are playing in a tough division. I don't make predictions about the leagues or awards or that kind of stuff [...]

[SBG Note: Thanks to Big Mak for the great series preview that follows.]
This is the first of what will hopefully be many series preview posts. I hope these previews will offer a little glimpse into the other team's psyche (or at least that of their fans).
Minnesota Twins (0-0) vs. Baltimore Orioles (0-0)
Ah, that [...]

"They hide their faces / and they hide their eyes" -Randy Newman "Baltimore"
I blame Angelos.
The Twins open the season tonight against the Fighting Orioles of Baltimore. Looking through the O's mugshots this year, I get a real "Oakland Athletics" vibe, if you know what I mean. (Also, those "O's" hats have got to be [...]

Today is the big day. Can you feel the excitement? And it's also Lucy's birthday!

I'm ready to play. Look at me! I can BE! Centerfield!

And from Twayn... the Boys are Back, the Boys are Back!

Herb Carneal passed away this morning at the age of 83 due to congestive heart failure.
"This is a sad day for the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of baseball fans across the Upper Midwest," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. "Herb Carneal's voice was the signature element of Twins baseball for multiple generations of fans. [...]

The Minnesota Vikings have announced that they will switch leagues to the Arena Football League. Owner Ziggy announced the move, saying that he was excited to move the Vikings into a league more commensurate with the Vikings tradition. After years of playing inside an arena and a couple of years playing at the [...]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced that they have traded Kevin Garnett to the New York Knicks for Stephon Marbury. VP Kevin McHale announced the trade this morning -- ending his search for a point guard on this big man dominated team. The trade was particularly satisfying to McHale because he only needed to [...]

I've heard through the grapevine that Justin Morneau got in a fight with Nick Punto yesterday in the clubhouse. The first baseman and the diminuitive third baseman got in a war of words, leading Justin Morneau to swing at Nick Punto. Fortunately Punto ducked and Morneau missed him but he hit Torii Hunter [...]

A while back, SBG played the Beatles rooftop concert. This session is from October 1980. The Beatles were together for a private jam and rumors flew about a possible reunion tour. Alas, it was not to be.

SBG Note: See if you can spot Yoko Ono.